The following is a letter to the editor that was sent to the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Rachel Galperin, Kalamazoo

Now that the trumped up “War on Christmas” has mercifully come to an end – Surprise, Christmas won! – we can turn our attention to far weightier issues, first among them: “Can Santa be brown?” Barbie’s brown; so is Ken. When did they become, without protest, an integral part of our toy culture? So why not a Brown Santa? For that matter, maybe Santa’s black, yellow, or red – suit yourself, pun intended.

Actually, Santa’s skin color is his least important feature since we see so little of it. His skin lies in folds due to his serious weight problem. His full white beard covers virtually all of his face, and his red suit trimmed in white fur, topped off by big, black boots, leaves little of him exposed.

As a matter of fact, I have a friend who has a Green Santa who lives at the South, and whose sleigh is powered by sled dogs rather than reindeer. Snow White’s seven dwarves are his helpers, working feverishly throughout the year to be ready for the next Dec. 24 and his round-the-world trajectory. Instead of sliding down the chimney at the risk of becoming stuck and covered with ashes, Green Santa comes in through a slightly opened window.

My Santa is a she – a political activist who volunteers in homeless shelters and food pantries, and who spends her days demonstrating for a livable wage and a burgeoning middle class. When those are realized, Santa – of whatever color or gender – will be heralding a Christmas that lives up to the real meaning of the holiday.